Sleigh



March 16, 1948.

D. W. THOMPSON Filed April 2, 1945 SLEIGH 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor 1m 14 7mm Quai March 16, 1948. D. w. THOMPSON ,767

SLEIGH Fil ed April 2, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 By 7 m Q Patented Mar. 16, 1948 o STATES PATENT orrlcs SLEIGH Donald W. Thompson, Windham, N. Y., assignor to Thompson Brothers, a copartnership composed of Ferris B. Thompson, Raymond H. Thompson, and Donald W. Thompson, all of Windham, N. Y.

Application April 2, 1945, Serial No. 586,057

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to sleighs for hauling heavy loads and especially to sleighs used for logging and lumbering operations and it has for its main object to provide a simple and inexpen- 2 elasticity of the steel of which the parts are formed and these elastic powers will greatly add to the ease and security with which the sleigh may be handled during its run through the sive but strong and durable sleigh which is so 5 sdesigned that it may be constructed entirely or he invention is illustrated in the accompanyalmost entirely of metal and in which the arts ing drawings in which: are joined with great flexibility so that a greater Figure 1 s a p V ew o e S e maneuverability can be obtained resulting in a Figure 2 is a Side VieW thereofgreater ease and greater security with which the Figure 3 is & le di v C oss-Section sleigh may be guided and directed when hauling through e heavy loads through th ood Figure 4 is a cross-section through the sleigh Sleighs for the hauling of heavy loads have aln a tra sv se di ti n al n l ne 4-4 f Fi ways been made of wood and in order to be able lire to obtain a good maneuverability the entire con- Figure 5 is a V w O e t e a d t o u struction has to he made as rigid as possible. The ho de elasticity of the wood is limited and can, thereh sl i h. as lust at in the d awi s, mfore. not be relied upon to take care of bumps and prises the runners i l Which, a Customary. e shocks due to heavy loads and large forces of Slightly ent p y in their foremost p t 17 inertia. The wooden sleighs, therefore, were so 20 form t e -ea e ba 0n 30 The bolster 0 designed that a completely rigid structure i cross-bar I2 is mounted transversely on said formed which always acts as a unit withstand- These P s are both e of Steel ing as a Whole the heavy strains put uoon it by girders of a suitable cross-section. The bolster shocks and numbing of the load and by the I2 is seated on bolster blocks l3 and is firmly forces of inertia due to the speed acquired. held on the block by means of bands l4 fixed on The present invention has mainly reference to e run e s H y means of s ws 5 or rivets. sleighs of the type referred to which are made Th bands M ar pr a y u nin ver flat of steel girders, steel plate and similar metal pa ts Of t bo ster l2 nd When the latter is parts and it is based on the fact that suitable pr vided w th uptu d fl s t as s own i flexible or pivotal connection will give a greater the drawings, thes flan s a ut a y r a flexibility to the structure, without detracting certain l t i order t p mit a firm hold of from its solidity. the bands on the surface of the bolster. The Flexibility without loss of solidity may be obbolster may be provided with holes l9 at its ends tained by providing a plurality of fixing means through which the ropes attaching he load a e between the main parts of the sleigh, some of drawn. which hold the parts firmly together, while oth- A bolt Il passes through the bolster [2, the ers provide the necessary amount of relative bolster block [3 and the band 14, joining these movement. This results in a higher flexibility of parts. It is provided with an end portion passthe entire structure in a more independent ading through a bore in and held by the runners H. justment of the two sides and, therefore, in a 40 This bolt forms a pivot permitting a certain limbetter adjustment to the inequalities and the ited motion between the parts joined by the bolt. change of direction of the path along which the In the fore-part of the sleigh the runners are sleigh is moving. By virtue of this adjustment a connected by the so-oalled roller, which in the higher maneuverability of the loaded sleigh may example illustrated, consists of a strong axle bar be obtained which is of great advantage. 26 to which the tongue holder 2| is fixed. The

According to the invention these results are ends 23 of the axle bar are held in holes 29 proobtained by joining the bolster or cross-bar, vided in the upturned ends 39 of the runners. which runs ransversely from runner to runner The tongue holder 2! is much stronger than with the latter by two difierent means. One of the corresponding structures in known constructhese means consists in a pivot bolt, while the tions. It consists of a triangular sheet 22 reinother comprises a band or bands holding the forced at its lateral edges by bands 23 and furbolster firmly against vertical displacement. ther reinforced in the middle by a cross-band 24. This double fixation will provide the necessary The tongue 25 is fixed to the sheet in any aprigidity and solidity of the connection while perpropriate manner, for instance, by rivets or screws mitting the same time a certain amount of or by welding and preferably reaches down to independent movement of the runners. the cross-band 24, thus reinforcing the foremost A further increase of the transverse rigidity is part of the entire tongue holder. The rear end obtained by a reinforced tongue and tongue holdof the tongue holder is provided with sleeves 26 ing structure. Individual movements of the runencircling the axle bar 2!]. At the front end of the tongue the customary eye 2? is attached.

ners and other parts bring into play the high It is seen from the; above descriptiom that; the; sleigh according to the invention provides a very strong construction which is nevertheless yield,- ing so that it will be able to accommodate and adjust itself to the inequalities of the track. Dan? gerous transverse inclinations of the load. are, therefore, less frequent as full useEcan he made of the elasticity of the members, without; impairing the solidity and the rigidityofthe. 6.0m struction.

What I claim is:

In a sleigh for logging and lumbering-- opera-v tions consisting of steel girders, runners consist} ing of I-irons, a bolster consisting of an I'-iron proyided. with; two flattened. portions, bolster blocksconsistin Qf.I:l..-irQ1.1.s.,cut-to a trapezoidal, hane and havin a. seating surface on the, Runners. equal to. the width of; the same and an enlarged upper surface for seating the bobs en, means. for fixing said: bolst r. and. ock simultaneously on the runners by means of at joint-like connection said means comprising; a band for each side. ,fixeditothe pp r flanges of the; l-iron forming the rtuiner and passing over 4 the flattenedportions of the bolster, and a bolt passing through said band, bolster and bolster block inclined with respect to the runner and fixed on one flange thereon, said bolt and band clamping the above-named parts firmly together while permitting arelative twisting movement around the holtsbetween them.

DONALD W. THOMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED 'Ijhe, followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date,

371,273 McKendree -4 Oct, 11, 18.87 494,263 Reichert, et a1 Mar. 28,, L893,

1,fl56,1142 Nienow May 22, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,257 Great Britain Mar. 23, 1910 27,753 Norway Mar. 12, 1917 42,392 Norway Jan. 25, 1926 

